Alternating education: school and practical training at EUX
How learning alternates between vocational school and a practising company
Like most vocational apprenticeships EUX is based on the principle of alternating training. This means your learning takes place alternately in two places: at the vocational school where you get teaching in subjects and theory and in a company where you work with the subject in practice under supervision.
§Why alternate between school and practical training?
Alternating education is a powerful learning form because theory and practice constantly fertilize each other. What you learn at school, you try out in the company, and the experiences you gain in practice make the subsequent school teaching more meaningful. You learn the trade both with your head and with your hands.
§The education agreement.
To enter practice you normally conclude a training agreement with a company. The agreement is a formal contract that describes the framework for your training and binds both you and the company. It is the company's responsibility to train you in the practical aspects of the trade, and it is your responsibility to attend, learn and contribute.
What a training agreement typically contains
- 01What education the agreement applies to
- 02When the internship period starts and ends
- 03The parties' rights and obligations
- 04Possible trial period at the beginning of the program
§Where do you learn?
School and internship cover different but interconnected parts of the profession. At school you get the professional theory and general upper secondary subjects; in the company you learn work procedures, the profession's routines, safety in practice and cooperation in a real workplace.
| On a vocational school | In the practical company |
|---|---|
| Professional theory and method. | Practical execution of the trade |
| Academic subjects at EUX level | Work processes and routines in everyday life |
| Exercises in workshop and laboratory | Safety and cooperation in practice |
| Tests and projects | Customer contact and responsibility in the job |
§To be an apprentice in a workplace
In the apprenticeship, you are both student and colleague. It places demands on you to arrive on time, take responsibility and ask when you are in doubt. Remember that you are there to learn — no one expects you to know everything from the start, but they expect you to show willingness and be open to guidance.
“In the practice, theory comes alive: you only truly understand a work process when you have done it yourself.”